This invention relates to a battery, and more particularly to a battery whose anode contains as the anode active material a metal selected from the metals of Group Ia, whose cathode contains as the cathode active material a compound selected from the group consisting of organic compounds having a phthalocyanine function and organic compounds having a porphin function, and whose electrolyte is formed of a material which does not chemically react with the cathode and anode materials, and permits the migration of ions from the anode material to the cathode for electrochemical reactions with the cathode active material.
Hitherto known are numerous types of high energy density battery, in which lithium is used as an anode-active material. A lithium battery is already commercially available in which a cathode-active material is formed of, for example, fluorocarbon, Ag.sub.2 CrO.sub.4, MnO.sub.2 or SOCl.sub.2. However, the prior art lithium batteries have the drawback that their capacity and energy density are not always quite satisfactory, and that these batteries are not capable of being recharged.
Among the secondary batteries using lithium as an anode-active material, a chalcogenide battery (refer to the U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,052) has the most excellent property in which a cathode-active material is formed of the sulfides, selenides or tellurides of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, niobium, tantalum or vanadium. Among the lithium batteries, the type in which titanium disulfide TiS.sub.2 is used as a cathode-active material is already on the market. However, all the batteries known to date cannot be regarded as fully satisfactory in respect of property and economies. An attempt to use an organic compound as a cathode-active material is set forth in the British Pat. No. 1,216,549, in which a polymeric organic semiconductor such as polyaniline is used as a cathode. Also described in said British patent is a battery in which a copper phthalocyanine polymer is used as a cathode. However, the property of this battery is not clearly indicated. Further proposed are the following batteries:
(a) U.S. Pat. No. Re 27,835 in which a non-aqueous solvent type battery is formed by dissolving SO.sub.2 in electrolyte to use a cathode-active material such as N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl benzidine which is soluble in a non-aqueous solvent type electrolyte. PA1 (b) A lithium battery (U.S. Pat. No. 3,185,590) in which a cathode-active material is formed of a polymer of quinones, for example para-quinone; PA1 (c) A lithium battery (Chemical Abstract 1,270,135 S, 1976, Vol 85) in which a cathode-active material is formed of 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone; PA1 (d) A battery (Chemical Abstract 127,012 r, 1976, Vol 85) in which a cathode-active material is formed of bipyridine; and PA1 (e) A battery (U.S. Pat. No. 3,352,720) in which a cathode-active material formed of a complex compound of a halogen such as bromine with the nitrogen atoms of polymeric amine such as polyvinyl pyridine.
The above-listed proposed batteries have not yet proved quite satisfactory in respect of capacity and energy density. This invention has been proposed by way of eliminating the drawbacks of said batteries.
The primary object of this invention is to provide primary and secondary batteries, whose cathode-active material is composed of an organic compound having a phthalocyanine function.
Another object of the invention is to provide compact, light-weight primary batteries having large energy density.
Still another object of the invention is to provide secondary batteries which are capable of being discharged and charged over many cycles.